McCann says his Rovers side are looking to create history on Sunday

Manager Grant McCann says his Rovers side are looking to create history on Sunday when they host Premier League side Crystal Palace in the Emirates FA Cup fifth round.

Rovers made it to this stage for the first time in 63 years after a 2-1 victory at the Keepmoat Stadium against Oldham Athletic, and with a chance to make it to the quarter finals of the competition for the first time in the club’s history, McCann is looking to give it a real good go.

“The FA Cup is upon us and we know that it is going to be a great spectacle for everybody connected with Doncaster Rovers, the fans are buzzing and everyone is talking about it, we have a real chance to make history here,” he said.

“It is important for us that we pick the right team that we feel has the best chance of getting a result, we want to give Crystal Palace a really good game, it’s hard to leave people out but everyone is in this together and everybody will be ready.

“It’s such a big game for us, we want to do the best for this football club, we want to have a real good go at getting through, we’ve done that throughout this competition so far, and we’re looking to do the same on Sunday.”

Sunday’s game is a complete sell out at the Keepmoat Stadium, with all tickets going within 24 hours of going on general sale, and McCann says his players are up for the occasion and won’t be distracted by the prospect of coming up against Premier League opposition.

“We have nothing to lose, we want to make everyone proud, the players will have their families in the stand, we have a sold-out Keepmoat Stadium which is great, the belief around the group is high that we can create something special,” he added.

“There is a lot of confidence around the place and the momentum is very good, it doesn’t matter whether we win or whether we lose, it won’t affect the rest of the season for us, we’re in a good place but this is a one-off game.

“We want to go out and express ourselves and see how we get on, everybody in the camp, from the players through to the non-playing staff, everyone is buzzing, we’re looking forward to playing in front of this atmosphere and it will really spur us on to do well.”